Police have registered a case against around 100 people who staged a protest on Shahrah-e-Faisal demanding the arrest of those responsible for the death of 25-year-old entrepreneur Mir Raza Ali.
According to a police report dated August 27, the demonstration began near the Nursery Bus Stop at around 12:30am, with protesters carrying banners and raising slogans over the handling of Ali’s case.
Police alleged that participants blocked Shahrah-e-Faisal and disrupted traffic. The report said some protesters were carrying sticks and hammers.
Twenty participants were identified by name, while the identities of others remain unknown. Police said further investigation could lead to additional protesters being identified.
The case was registered on the instructions of the relevant Station House Officer under Sections 147, 149, 186, 341 and 504 of the Pakistan Penal Code, covering offences including rioting, unlawful assembly, obstructing a public servant and wrongful restraint.
The demonstration was the latest development in a case that has generated controversy over the circumstances of Ali’s death and the initial police investigation.
Ali, a graduate of the Institute of Business Administration, was found dead in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area after being reported missing. His family disputed suggestions that he had died by suicide and accused police of failing to properly investigate his death and of harassing family members.
The case took a significant turn following the exhumation of Ali’s body and a second post-mortem examination, which found that he had been shot in the back and showed signs of torture. Murder charges were subsequently added to the case.
The Sindh government has since ordered a judicial inquiry into Ali’s death, with a Sindh High Court judge appointed to lead the investigation.